McCaul's Christmas Party!!!

I know I am so behind on my blog, but I have only been home a total of 2-1/2 days since December 16th!!! So I will be slowly catching up on all the fun and exciting things we have been up to.

The McCaul Christmas Party is one of my favorite things about Christmas. As you can tell in my past posts I really love the family I married into (might be part of the reason I married him;) j/k...well we always have a wonderful Christmas Party with the McCaul's. This year Jason's sister Teresa did it and it turned out so so so good! Thanks for all your hard work!
Some things you might want to know about the McCaul's.
There are 9 kids ranging from 45 - 24
that means there are A TON o f cute Grandkids (yes McCaul's are cute so they all have cute kids!)
They are ALL some of the greatest people I know! They know how to party...we always have fun laugh sing and of course feel the spirit at these gatherings. (Sorry I think this is going to be long)
the great DAD to all of these kids past away almost a year ago. February of 2008. He was a great guy...I always left him feeling better. He could cheer me up, always make me laugh and he just had this way about him to boost me up whenever I was around him. we all love and miss him.
ok back to the party! We all arrived hung out talked; some of the family couldn't make it which made us sad because we love it when EVERYONE is there! But with that many people it is hard to have a time that works with everyone’s schedule.

All the Moores well most of them.
Denise and Cute Baby Audrey!
Jason and his cute sister Liz trying to act annoyed when I take the picture! I love them both...she is one of my favorites:)

Then the kids made some gingerbread houses.
Reddek trying to eat the candy before I had it completed
The cute McCaul girls making their house!
Ryland and his gingerbread house! He for sure had the best one until the roof caved in.

Then we all ate some FABULOUS soup and other snacks.
One of my favorite families...Parris Shannon and their cute boy Collyn
(I didn't get pictures of all my favorite families)
Some of my nieces hanging and eating yummy yummy soup!
Jason of course being a punk and not posing for the picture!
Some of the cute cousins

Of course Santa Claus came...
Little boy Kyle on Santa's lap...I don't think he got anything because we all know he has been a BAD BOY:)

Cute Reddek on Santa's lap...he loved Santa so much he went back up to sit with Santa as we sang Christmas songs!

Then we exchanged gifts. With that large of family we draw families so we don't have to buy too many presents. It was nice it started and you had to say something nice about the family you gave to. And of course we were all crying at that point. Then Tammy got out a present that she got for all of us...yes she does this every year! They were blue pillows with trains on them (you have to know their dad) Parris was playing Christmas music on the guitar in the background which made the spirit even stronger. Tammy went on to read this poem she wrote about her dad. It was so great! I know we will all remember this Christmas Party! Then Annette (the mom of all these wonderful kids) gave her present that she had made for each of us! They are Christmas blankets. They have a lot of meaning there are ten rows for all the kids and a gold row for Bob (the dad) and a silver row for representing her. She put a lot of hard work into these and I know we will all cherish them FOREVER.

Then the night ended with all of us relaxing watching the Grinch with popcorn and cake!

This was the best Christmas party ever...ok I say that every year. I always love the McCaul Christmas Party:)

HO HO HO!

Shannon and I took the boys to see Santa!
This is them patiently waiting in line...


And then was time to see how they did on Santa's lap! Reddek being such a cautious kid suprised me! He didn't cry he walked over put his hands up like pick me up and sat there. He didn't get too friendly but he sat there told him he wanted a choo choo and candy. Collyn suprised us too! Collyn is for sure the more adventurous one of the two but he didn't like Santa. I didn't get a picture with my camera but Shannon sat down on his knee with him but he still cried and wanted to go bye byes. He was so cute!
SO I GUESS YOU NEVER CAN TELL WHAT THE KIDS WILL DO WITH SANTA!




And Reddek finally got his candy and was HAPPY :)

We went to the mall with my sister and her daughter and was lucky enough to see him again!!! Reddek did fine again, but Jade on the other hand was more like Collyn didn't want to sit on his lap. She will talk about him and that he is bringing her a princess and Reddek a choo choo. She was so cute! Luckily I got a picture this time.
I love this time of year especially with a 2 yr old! They really do make the holidays come to life.

wHaT hAvE yOu DoNe?

Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold. How much have you done?


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars (Sleeping on the tramp growing up, and now on our deck a couple times)
3. Played in a band (Middle school )
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (I LOVE Disneyland!)
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo... and I am so not a singer!
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (I can't really say it was my own garden, but since I weeded the family garden daily, I feel like I have some ownership)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an train (In Germany!)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (Does it count as a kid hitch hiking to Manti? We usually got picked up by someone we knew)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (Hope to do my 1st 1/2 marathon in January:-)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (in Germany...we even went to our ancestor's castle)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Doesn't your own kids language count? LOL)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (this one won't go unbold)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (a late night with just Jason and I at The Blue Note)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (the one Ann Frank was at)
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (every American should have to go to Washington DC, its so amazing!)
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a Bone (does my nose count as a bone?)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (got a hug from Jason Kidd)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

This makes me realize how much more there is to do and I need to do LOTS more stuff:)
I tagg Andria, Jen, Amber Baker, Charle, Amber Nielsen, Kori and Shannon...whoever wants to do it! If I tagged you and you don't want to don't:-)

Temple LiGhTs

Well Saturday we had a nice day! We went up to Temple square to look at the lights and watch the Joseph Smith movie. When we got there it was so busy Jason and I both got a little irritated. We tried to park for I swear an hour! If Reddek would have started crying we would have turned around and went home. Luckily he didn't. It was crazy the how my feelings changed once I got out of the car I just felt calm and relaxed.

The fun started with soup, bread and dessert at our house then we all headed up there. We had a big group...Joe and Andria's family, Denise (Andria’s mom) Annette (Jason’s mom) and Jason's little sister Julie and her husband Brandon. It was so nice to be together and feel the spirit. Reddek liked the Joseph Smith movie. He still talks about the lights at the temple with Joseph Smith.

This is most of our group, except Julie, Brandon, and Joe!



He couldn't take his eyes off the temple so this is the best we could do for a picture!!!

TwO cUtE fRiEnDs

So as I mentioned in my last post I met up with two old friends. I always wonder what people I went to high school with are up to and now with a BLOG I can keep in touch with a few of them. It was so fun to have lunch and talk about our lives. Of course Tamber and I bored Marcee with stories of our kids and you know other CrAzY sTuFf!!! They are both as Beautiful as ever. Thanks for the good time to catch up and have a girls lunch!!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend! It is our year to go with my fam so we packed up early Thursday and headed down to Sterling. My aunt did it this year and we had so many we had to go to the church! It was different but it was nice we put the kids in the nursery and we could all visit. There was so much food, and I felt guilty eating any because we didn't have to take ANYTHING! I think they had about 50 pies no lie and of course I tried three of them. My mom made this white chocolate cherry pie and it was delicious. We left there and all needed a nap.My sister came late so we had our own Thanksgiving that my mom had made for us. We ate yet MORE turkey and stuffing for dinner. And my sister brought the BEST pecan pie, I think I ate the whole thing;) We then ditched the kids with the grandparents and went and saw 4 Christmases and I LOVED it! I laughed the entire time. I am so happy this time of year to be with FaMiLy NON sToP...and all the fun traditions we all have. Friday I was able to meet some old friends(Tamber and Marcee) for lunch it was so fun to catch up with them. That night Manti had a light parade and then Santa Clause goes to the high school for the kids. Well we waited in line for an hour and Reddek was so tired but he kept wanting to sit on Santa's lap so we stayed and when we were only about half way through the line, but had been waiting for an hour and a half we left. We knew he was going to cry and not really sit on his lap anyway. (aren't we rude parents?) (
We got to see cousins we haven't seen FOREVER!!!

I use to babysit all these little ones when they were babies and now they are almost as big as me! It was so fun to see their family.
Jade and Reddek LOVED playing with "WoGaN"...he had to leave us Thursday night to ride bulls on Friday and Saturday in St. George.
My wonderful parents that put us all up for the L O N G weekend and of course babysat the whole time!

Jade eating whip cream and Reddek wondering what the heck she is doing.

The weekend ended with us leaving Reddek with Jason's sister Kori and us going on a fun muddy four-wheeler ride. We saw lots of people getting trees and we kind of missed it but we decided to bag it and go to a tree lot, where we found the PERFECT TREE! (like everybody else) It looks lots better in person, but pictures will work!
Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! And I am THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU! ..

4 years later!!!

Well four years ago on November 20th Jason and I were married in the Manti Temple. It is crazy how fast it has gone...but also crazy how far we have got in life. Have a two year old, Jason is done with school and has a career and I also have a career. I love looking at old picutres so I was looking at some and I took pictures of them so they aren't the best but you get what we looked like. (basically the same) We had a great day with tons of family and friends. I think that day was the best day in my life well that and the day Reddek was born are a toss up.

Jason's dad, me, Jason , Jason's mom and stepdad Gene

Here is us know! For our anniversary we went up to Midway! It was so nice and relaxing just what I needed actually:) Jason has been good to always plan something for us (i don't know why but i think of that as the man's job) We stayed at this great place Johnson's Mill. A cute old fashioned bed and breakfast. My lovely sister watched Reddek for us and we took off. We went to this fancy place for dinner and it was good, but Jason and I are just as happy with cheap food so we might not eat there again.

They had this trail for us to walk on and a pond...it was so fun to just spend time with one another. We even saw some deer on our little walk we got pretty close to them too!



Our deck...and below is our view from our room!!! I loved this place:) Isn't that so pretty?
Our room! The pictures don't do it justice.

And this is what I found...
I went to the bathroom to "freshen up" and I came out to this! Snacks and sparkling cider. He is such a cutie!!! He told me he knew I had been stressed out so he tried to plan a nice relaxing couple of days. It was and I loved every minute of it! I love Jason and don't think there is a better match for me. He is so good to me and I am grateful he puts up with me! Love you Jason and THANKS A TON for the great couple of days. (we even did it a day earlier so I could go with a bunch of friends to the midnight showing of Twilight...what a great guy) I hope to have many more years with him!